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'Popular Monarchy' is a system of monarchical governance in which the monarch's title is linked with the people rather than a unitary state. It was the norm in some places (such as Scotland) from the Middle Ages, and was occasionally used in 19th- and 20th-century Europe, often reflecting the results of a popular revolution.

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Examples

See also

Examples

★ From the Middle Ages, Scottish kings such as Robert the Bruce were known as King of Scots, not as Kings of Scotland (see also Mary, Queen of Scots). An example of this case is found in the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320 saying (in rather rhetorical language) that the King of Scots ruled ''on behalf of'' the people rather than actually ruling the people and that the independence of Scotland was the prerogative of the Scots people, rather than the King of Scots. This usage became less common after James VI of Scots inherited the throne of England, and called himself ''King of Great Britain''. The Act of Union 1707 abolished the Scottish throne as an independent entity.

★ The first Portuguese king, Afonso Henriques, used the style ''King of the Portuguese'' («''Rex Portugalensium''»), to remember that he was elected on the battlefield, after the battle of Ourique (1139), by his fellows and subjects; their descendants, instead, used the style of ''King of Portugal'' («''Rex Portugaliae''» or later in Portuguese: «''Rei de Portugal''»).

★ King Louis XVI, having previously reigned as ''King of France'', reigned as ''King of the French'' from 1791 to 1792. This was under the terms of the 1791 Constitution of France, during a brief period of constitutional monarchy that was ended by the monarchy's abolition.

★ Napoleon I (Napoleon Bonaparte) reigned as "Emperor of the French," rather than "Emperor of France."

★ The last French king, Louis-Philippe of France was proclaimed ''King of the French'' in 1830, reflecting the fact that he took power by means of a popular revolution against the ''King of France'', his immediate predecessor King Charles X.

★ Greek monarchs from George I were formally known as Kings of the Hellenes, not Kings of Greece, from 1863 to the monarchy's abolition in 1967.

★ Zog I, monarch of Albania from 1928 to 1943, used the style ''King of the Albanians'', rather than King of Albania

★ From 1918 until 1929, the monarch of what would become Yugoslavia was known as ''King of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes''. In 1929, Alexandar Karađorđević was proclaimed King of Yugoslavia.

★ Romanian Monarchs from 1881 until 1947 were known as King of the Romanians, rather than King of Romania.

★ Kaiser Wilhelm I was German Emperor, not Emperor of Germany.

★ The current Belgian Monarchy is a popular monarchy, the King known as ''King of the Belgians'', not King of Belgium. This is the only example of popular monarchy that remains in operation today.

★ In mediaeval Croatia the royal title was ''King of the Croats'' (''Kralj Hrvata'' in Croatian, ''Rex Chroatorum'' in Mediaeval Latin), which was later extended to ''King of the Croats and the Dalmatians'' (''Kralj Hrvata i Dalmatinaca'' or ''Rex Chroatorum Dalmatarumque'') after the addition of what was then the Byzantine Dalmatia. The name "Dalmatians" referred to the so-called "Latin" population of the Dalmatian cities (most notably Split, Zadar, Trogir, Hvar and Rab), and does not pertain to the present-day Croats of the four southernmost counties which call themselves Dalmatians. However, when King Coloman of Hungary was crowned with the Crown of Zvonimir in Biograd in 1102, and Croatia entered into personal union with Hungary, he added the title of ''King of Croatia and Dalmatia'' (''Rex Croatiae et Dalmatiae'') to his previous title of King of Hungary. This was the end of popular monarchy in Croatia.

See also

★ Revolutions of 1830